Twist of the Road
by Light at the End of the Tunnel
Summary: What happens when an Ancient awakes from stasis not a day older and can't remember very much? read and find out. ON HIATUS! SORRY!
1. Chapter 1

Hello reader! yeah, a pretty formal greeting. please bare with me as you read through this. I work on some stories more than others, so it might take some time to finish this one. It might take a while to get really interesting, too. All questions will eventually be answered in later chapters. please read and REVIEW! DOn't be afraid to be honest . I can take critisism. By the way, the only character I own in the story so far is Emily. 

Emily stared blankly out across the great expanse of ocean beyond Atlantis. She struggled to suppress a sigh. She had countless memories of the things that had happened when she was a little child running wildly around the safe parts of the city. However, those lingering memories were very faint. Ever since she woke up, nothing made sense. Her mind wandered to what happened three months ago.

Strange voices echoed around her in an unfamiliar language for days. Warmth touched her skin, but she could never respond. Her eyes would never open to see what was happening around her. Emily could barely breath on her own. She wasn't Emily then, at least not yet. After days of this torture, Emily finally awoke with bleary eyes and a complete understanding of every strange language she heard during her time in between true life and unconsciousness.

The second she opened her eyes, a flock of doctors and nurses were at her side. She could hear one of them talking to someone named Dr. Weir. Her questions were stopped by the calamity around her along with her sudden realization. She was in the old infirmary only strange clothing filled by stranger people surrounded her. Emily's first verbal contact with these new people came shortly after this sudden realization.

"All right, everyone! Give the girl some room!" an authoritative male voice commanded.

All reluctantly backed away from her gurney. A man with clear blue eyes, styled black hair, and obvious five o'clock shadow wearing a plain black shirt and khaki pants under his lab coat came rushing forward.

"She's just fine," replied one of the doctors who had been checking her eyes.

The blue-eyed man opened his mouth to say something, but Emily cut him off.

"He's right. I'm perfectly fine."

"You can talk?" he asked, obviously frazzled.

"Of coarse I can? Why wouldn't I be able to?"

He blinked a few times before opening his mouth to say something.

"Don't even try an apology on me! Your language took no time to understand."

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?" Emily asked impatiently.

"I didn't expect you to be able to talk so soon after being frozen for thousands of years."

Emily's heart skipped a beat as she sat up with speed one wouldn't have expected from someone in her physical state. "_Thousands_?"

"Yes-"

Emily held up a hand. She needed to get her breath back. _Thousands_ of years in that stasis pod and she didn't feel a day older than she did when she was put in there.

"Who's in Atlantis now? No . . . why is there natural light?" she demanded, suddenly realizing that the warmth on her body was coming from the sunlight beaming through a window on the other end of the window.

"That's nothing for you to worry about now. Just get some rest." He gently pushed her back onto the bed. She didn't fight for one second. Shock had overcome her as she stared around her. What had _happened_?

Desperately, she grabbed one of his sleeves. "What's your name?"

The pure desperation in her voice stirred something inside the man. A few moments of tense lingered between them before he answered. "Dr. Beckett."

She nodded with a weak smile sleep beginning to overtake her. "I'm . . . I'm . . . I don't remember my name!" With that, Emily drifted off into a drug-induced sleep.

She was suddenly torn from her thoughts by her name being called over the communicator in her ear. She pressed the bud that was in her ear.

"What do you want, Zelenka?" she demanded in Czech. She was fluent in almost all the languages represented in Atlantis.

"Rodney's had another . . . incident."

Emily sighed. "What now?"

"He didn't read the instructions you left him."

"He _what_! Why didn't you . . . never mind. What happened _this_ time?" she demanded in a clearly frustrated tone. Rodney had been short circuiting everything he built since she started to give him blueprints of Ancient devises.

"Uhhhhh, I think it would be better if you saw this for yourself."

Emily sighed. "Fine. I'll be in the jumper bay soon." She pressed the ear bud with a sigh. So much for her reflections.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Rodney," Emily began, steam practically curling out of her ears. "What in the-"

"I know, I know. Just leave me alone. I can figure this out," he replied.

"Don't make me laugh, Rodney! Somehow you turned very simple instructions on how to improve jumper speed into blueprints for a bomb!"

"Well if they were a little _clearer_ this wouldn't have happened."

"_Clearer?_ The apes you evolved from could follow them."

"Look, I made a few minor miscalculations, but-"

Emily laughed. "Rodney, look at this place! There are pieces of puddle jumper everywhere, not to mention the smoke damage! 'Few' doesn't even begin to describe it!"

Rodney slammed a battered piece of Earth technology on the on the table before them. "Well we all can't be Ancients, can we?"

Emily threw her hands in the air and as she began to walk out of the jumper bay she said, "I'm done with you."

"Oh come on! You can't be serious!"

Emily ignored him and kept walking. She was done for the day. All she wanted was something to eat.

She swirled the water in her glass as she stared at the ice within. Rodney had really gotten her cackles up. He'd gotten on her nerves before, but never like _this_. She let out a long sigh. Why couldn't he just listen to her? For a man who boasts his intellect, Rodney wasn't very smart. Emily felt herself drifting back to when she first met him.

"I'm telling you, I can't remember what my name is!" she remarked sharply.

"But you somehow remember half the schematics of a ZPM," he remarked sharply.

"A _what_?"

"The thing you just drew. It powers the city."

"Oh _that_. I'd correct you on the name but-"

"You don't remember it. We've established that. Now you could just explain to me how to build one."

Emily sighed. "I don't remember."

Rodney let out a frustrated noise as he turned away from the worktable. "It would be so much easier if-"

"Calm down, Rodney. Give her a break," a new voice remarked.

"Hello, Sheppard," Emily replied with a slight smile.

"Hey. You remember anything else?"

She shrugged. "I woke up this morning and remembered the schematics for half of a . . . ZPM, but other than that I've got nothing."

"You remember that, but not your name?"

"Yes and don't ask me why."

"Well we can't keep saying 'hey you' whenever we need your attention, now can we?" Rodney growled.

"Hey! Don't blame me! I don't even know why I was in that stasis pod. I think that would be right up there with remembering my name!"

"Then tell me why you can remember how to build a perfectly functional jumper?"

"Okay, calm down you two!" Sheppard interjected. "Rodney made a good point. You need a name."

"I've never felt more like a pet in my life," she grumbled.

Sheppard ignored her. "You look a little bit like a girl I dated in high school. How about Emily?"

She smiled. "Emily. I like that name. It'll work."

"How could you people discuss nicknames when there's half of a ZPM on the table?" Rodney exclaimed.

Emily sighed. "Fine, we'll get back to work, but not on the ZPM. I gave you all I remember. Why don't we move into . . . crystals?"

"Oh what good are those?"

"A lot more than you know."

"Really! How so?"

"Well . . ."

"Emily," a voice said from behind her.

She looked up from the depth of her glass. She was shocked to see the once large ice cubes had turned into clear, room temperature water. Emily soon saw Zelenka walking over to the seat across from her. Immediately she switched from English into Czech.

"What is it?" she said with a sigh.

"Are you okay? You don't look so good."

"No, I'm fine. Just a little tired. Rodney's been riding me like a . . . like a . . ."

"Horse," he interjected.

"Yes, a horse. I haven't slept in a while."

Zelenka sighed. "Ah yes, the nightmares. They haven't stopped yet, have they?"

Emily sighed. "No, they just keep getting worse."

"Maybe you should see the psychologist."

"Not a chance! I don't want some stranger poking around inside my head. Besides, they're not that bad. I remember something every time I wake up from one."

He sighed. "If you think it's best."

Emily smiled. "Thanks. You know, you're the only one who doesn't talk to me just to pump my brain for information."

Zelenka stuttered for a few moments and Emily knew why. It wasn't everyday that he got a compliment from a sixteen year old who was actually thousands of years old. Let alone from one whose people where known for their arrogance. She decided to save him the trouble of a rebuttal. Quickly, she faked a yawn.

"It's getting late. I think I'm going to sleep," she remarked, motioning to the starlight leaking through a few windows.

"Yes, that's a good idea. Good night, Emily."

"Good night," she replied before getting up and leaving the mess hall.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

She didn't to bed right away. Her recent focus on past events had gotten her too wired to even think of sleep. All Emily did was sit in her room and stare at old pictures of her parents, family, and friends. There was one reason and one reason only why she wasn't walking around the city, sparing with Teyla, or running in the gum. Someone would find her and start asking her questions. This was the room she had stayed in when she was taking courses in construction and repair of Atlantian facilities and power sources.

The room was completely separated from the rest of the city's power and data. Her computer was a lone entity that could send out and take in information, but only if she called for it with one of her countless codes. Crystals of her own design and engineering powered everything in her home. They were accessible from both inside and outside her room, allowing for easy change whenever their power finally gave out. Because of these features, Emily left absolutely no electrical fingerprint as long as she turned her communicator off.

Emily let out a long sigh as she sat back in her bed. She clapped her hands and the lights faded off. The lights from various parts of the city quickly flooded through the tapestries covering the room's window, casting silhouettes all along the walls of her room. Slowly, Emily fell asleep with countless memories of Atlantian nights dancing around her mind.

"Has anyone else noticed how strange Emily's been acting?" Dr. Weir inquired as she looked at the faces before her.

"She seems normal to me," Sheppard replied with a shrug.

"No she hasn't," Zelenka piped in, his arms crossed.

"And since when have you noticed her actions?" Rodney remarked.

"For a while."

"Why? She hasn't even talked to you," Sheppard asked.

"Well . . . um we have talked a few times."

Rodney sat up in his chair. "What did she tell you? If it's anything about remembering anything-"

"Calm down, Rodney. I'm sure Dr. Zelenka would have told us if he found out anything important," Weir replied in a smooth tone.

Rodney and Zelenka exchanged glances before Weir continued. "Back to the task at hand. She hasn't seemed all together for a while."

"You wouldn't if you'd been frozen in a stasis pod for thousands of years," Sheppard remarked.

"Still. There is something wrong with her," Tayla chimed in.

"She probably just misses her family. Now can I please get something to eat?" Rodney complained.

Everyone ignored his last sentence.

"No, this is more than missing family. There's something else wrong," Zelenka replied while shaking his head.

"And how do you know this?" Rodney inquired.

"She's been having night terrors. It could be –"

"Wait a minute. Night terrors?" Weir interrupted, taking a step forward.

"She never said anything to you about it?" he questioned, obviously befuddled.

Everyone shook his or her head.

"That's strange."

"You're telling me," Sheppard mumbled.

"Maybe Dr. Beckett knows," Tayla mused.

Weir shook her head. "He would have said something to us."

"Is anybody else wondering _why_ she told Zelenka and no one else?" Rodney asked.

They all looked at one another. That was something they hadn't thought of.

"She did say that I was the only one who wasn't always pumping her for information," a confused Zelenka remarked.

"So you think she has found some kind of . . . relationship with you?" Tayla inquired.

"No, I don't think so."

"Any other ideas?" Sheppard asked a he leaned back in his chair.

"Maybe he looks like someone she knew," Ronon said with a shrug.

"Well whatever it is, that's not our biggest concern. We've got an Ancient having night terrors and she refuses to admit it," Weir remarked.

"And she has no memory," Rodney added.

"Maybe the night terrors aren't such a bad thing," Zelenka remarked.

"What?" Rodney quickly returned.

"She seems to get more of her memory back when they do occur."

"He does make a point there," Sheppard replied.

"Well whatever it is, I'm officially having her visit the psychologist in the morning," Weir said with a grim look.

"Wait, that won't work," Rodney began. "She's supposed to-"

"Save it, Rodney. My mind is made up. Dismissed."

With that, everyone got up and walked out, completely unsuspecting of what was going on in Emily's mind during those same moments of their discussion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Fire rained down from the sky as she lurched through Atlantis. People were streaming out of buildings or jumping out of windows of the burning spires above her. Emily was pushing her way through the pedestrian traffic, fighting the current that threatened to take her in the opposite direction.

Drones light up the sky above her, momentarily droning out the sounds of screaming people. The ground beneath her feet shook violently. Emily was thrown underfoot of the merciless mob. She fought to regain her footing. She had to get up. She _had_ to keep moving. Bloodied, but not broken, Emily forced herself to her feet and kept running.

"Atlantis is falling!" screamed a woman as she clutched onto her screaming infant.

"The wraith are going to take us all!" screamed a man.

People were dropping to the floor everywhere, ascending on their own will, trying to escape the end. The shields had fallen, the ZPMs suddenly overloaded. Darts screamed through the night sky. Each sucked up a group of frantic people. All Emily could do was trust her knowledge of the city to escape. There was somewhere she had to be, something she had to do.

Another explosion rocked the ground she stood on. In slow motion, she saw herself flying toward a nearby ledge. She felt herself slam into the railing and flipping over the edge. She caught one glimpse of the ground speeding forward before clamping her eyes shut.

"EMILY!" a strange but familiar voice screeched.

She sat up in her bed, suddenly aware of the real world around her. Icy sweat covered every inch of her body and her heart was beating a mile a minute.

"EMILY! OPEN THE DOOR RIGHT NOW!"

She shook her head, trying to get the image out of her head before she faced the owner of the voice. "What is it, Rodney?" she questioned with a sigh.

"Open the door _right now_."

"I'm not-"

"I don't care. Just open the door."

She sighed. "It's your funeral." She pressed a button on her bedside table that she had installed way back when back.

Rodney marched through the door. "Where the hell were you? Didn't you remember- oh dear." He suddenly turned away, thoroughly embarrassed.

"I warned you," Emily remarked with a smirk.

"Yes, but . . . but you could have put something on over it at least."

"Well a housecoat isn't exactly something in my closet. I never got a late night visitor before."

"Oh how would you remember?"

Emily adjusted the sheets covering her stark-naked body. "Why else would I have the compulsion to sleep in my birthday suit if I always had company at night?"

"Okay," Rodney replied uncomfortably. "Just put some clothes on and meet me in the gate room."

"Fine."

A few seconds passed before she said something.

"You can leave now, Rodney.

"Oh, yes, right." With that, he shuffled out of the room, careful to keep his back to her.

Emily sighed. It was going to be one hell of a day.

"I don't recognize that one, either," Emily replied with a sigh.

"Okay, how about this one?" Rodney asked as her moved through the computer system's list of gate addresses.

"P4X-579. That looks vaguely familiar. I think that was a testing sight for the weapons researchers and their students. It was deserted when the testing was done."

"Okay, we'll have to check that out later. How about this one?"

"Nope."

"This one?"

"No."

"This one?"

"Ye-no."

"Okayyy. How about this one?"

"P7Z-421. It's so familiar . . ."

"Hello Emily," Zelenka interrupted with a smile. "Rodney," he added in as an after thought.

"Hi, Zelenka. What is it?" Emily replied with a slight smile, happy to get away from the planet interrogation.

"Rodney, I need to talk to Emily," Zelenka said, quickly turning away from her gaze.

"Not now. We're-"

Zelenka cut him off by clearing his throat.

A light suddenly flickered across his face, as if he suddenly remembered something. "Oh yes. We'll finish this later. Goodbye." With that, he got up and left.

"What is it, Zelenka?" she asked in his native tongue, slightly confused at what had just gone on.

"Come with me."

Emily got up and the two began to walk.

"I want you to see the psychologist."

"_What_? Are you kidding me?"

"No, you need to talk to someone, someone who can understand what's going on in your head."

She gave a humorless laugh. "_No one_ can understand what I'm going through. I'm a lot more complex than you humans."

"That may be true, but to have to give us credit for something. When it comes to the mind, there's a lot our people can do."

"But have they ever dealt with someone who could ascend at the drop of a hat?"

"Well-"

"Well nothing. I'm not going."

Zelenka stopped next to a door. "I'm afraid you are."

"Wha-"

"Hello Emily!" a calm voice began.

She turned to see a blonde woman standing in the doorway. Emily had been totally blind sighted.

"Why don't you come in and we can talk," the woman said with a smile as she nudged her thought the threshold.

All Emily could do was allow herself be guided in. She gave Zelenka a look of death just before the door slid closed.


	5. Chapter 5

i hope you like this chapter. R&R! 

Emily walked with feigned urgency through the city. She just wanted people to leave her alone. Faking was the only way she could get any peace during the daytime. She knew that anyone who approached her with so much as a greeting she would go ballistic.

She flexed her hands, trying to release the anger swirling inside of her. It had been so hard not to use any of the powers that normally came with the ability to ascend. Emily knew that once she released her grip on her self-control, nothing would stop her. Rodney would be dead in and instant . . . and so would Zelenka.

_Zelenka_. He had tricked her into seeing the psychologist. He had betrayed her trust. The only person in the city she had any trust in, the only person who saw her as more than just a way to better the human race. She stopped suddenly in the middle of the corridor, nostrils flared and fists clenched. She couldn't control her rage.

"Emily! Good to see you. I was wondering something," a younger scientist began as he approached her from behind.

She turned around and glared at him.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

Emily let out a sound similar to a battle cry. She charged at him at full speed, ramming into his slight body and knocking him over the guardrail lining the floor. He toppled head-over-heels in slow motion with Emily clinging onto him. They descended to the gate room in what felt like slow motion. The impact echoed through the scientist's body and into hers as they crashed into the floor.

All stared in silence at what they had just witnessed. Seconds went by before Emily had completely checked that everything was intact. Slowly, she lifted herself up with a grunt. Gasps sounded off around her. Apparently, none of the bystanders had realized whom it was that sent the scientist tumbling over the edge; let alone the idea that she would rise up completely unharmed. She wished the same could be said for the man who had set her off.

He was a crushed and bloody mess, like a bug smeared a bug on the sidewalk. The sight made Emily's heart shoot into her throat. Slowly, she backed away from the sight. It had to bee a dream it just _had_ to be. Reality set in when the silence was broken by shouts for a medical team. Her name was being rattled around the room like a ping pong ball and it seemed like the entire city was flooding into the room.

Panic took over and she bolted, forcing her way through the crowd. Tears were streaming down her face. She had _killed_ someone. She had taken a life. People were calling for her to stop, but she ignored them. Emily had to get away. She faded out of reality and let her legs carry her away.

"Why couldn't I have just ascended?" she mused aloud as she stared into the ocean.

Emily knew how to ascend. The process had been drilled into her since the day she started school. The process had been studied and she had memorized every part of it. The only thing that was keeping her planted in her body was the need to stay where she was. There was something she needed to do. If only she could remember what.

"Emily," a soft voice said from behind her.

"Hello, Dr. Weir," she replied with a sigh. She knew what this was going to be all about.

"I want to talk to you about what happened earlier."

"You can save your breath. I feel bad enough about it."

"I'm aware of that, but-"

"Just leave me alone!" Emily replied in a pained voice.

"Fine. Just tell me what happened."

Emily sighed. "I . . . I don't know. It all happened so quickly. I guess I just lost it and he happened to get in the way." She turned away from the outlook and walked over to Dr. Weir. "Now if you don't mind, I'm going for a walk." With that, she left Weir standing alone on the outlook.

"I can't believe she did that," Teyla remarked after a long period of silence. Dr. Weir had called a conference again.

"What's stranger is the psychological report said she was clear. Whatever caused this must have happened fairly recently," Dr. Weir commented.

"I think we started it," Zelenka interjected.

"How?" Sheppard inquired.

"She didn't want to she the psychologist and we made her go anyway. She probably not very happy with me right now."

"Oh yeah, make this all about you," Rodney said, an edge in his voice.

Zelenka sighed. "You don't understand. I'm the reason Faulner's dead. Emily trusted me and I deceived her."

"This isn't your fault," Weir began. "We don't even know-"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I have to talk to her."

"Now might not be the best time," Ronon commented.

"He's right," Sheppard began. "Maybe I should go."

"Hold on. That might not be the safest thing," Weir added. "Maybe she should see a psychologist again."

"Oh you know how that worked last time."

There were a few moments of silence before Weir spoke. "Fine. You can go John. Just be careful."

He nodded.

"Dismissed."

Slowly, everyone got up and left. All were wondering how Sheppard's conversation was going to go.


	6. Chapter 6

"What do you want, Sheppard?" Emily demanded as she whacked a golf ball into the ocean surrounding the city.

"I want to know what happened to day," he replied.

"Yeah, well get in line. Do you know how many people have asked me today?"

"I can imagine," he began as he walked towards her. "Hey, I didn't know you liked to play."

She sent another ball sailing into the horizon. "Actually, I just started to day."

"Wow you're pretty good," Sheppard remarked as he stood next to her. "You mind if I take a few swings?"

Emily sent another ball flying. "Go ahead. I'm not stopping you." She tossed him the driver she was using.

Sheppard carefully set up the tee before looking back up at Emily. "How far do you think I can hit this?"

She shrugged. "It depends on the wind."

"Yeah . . . I'm guessing about half a mile," he replied, staring blankly into the sea.

"If you say so."

With one smooth hit, Sheppard sent it flying into the ocean where it landed a quarter of a mile away.

"Nice job," Emily replied while rolling her eyes.

"Hey, I was close."

"But you didn't make it."

"I bet I could."

"How much?" Emily asked with a smile.

"What?"

"You bet that you could so I'm taking you up on it."

"It's a figure of speech!" he replied with indignation.

"Fine, if u think you're too weak . . ."

"I'm not weak."

"Then why don't you want to make a bet?"

"Well . . . you don't have anything to bet."

"I can answer your question if you make it."

"And if I don't?"

She shrugged. "You leave me alone and tell Dr. Weir where to shove her quest for information."

"Seems like you get a better deal."

"Actually, no. You'll get an honest answer out of me."

Sheppard contemplated this for a few seconds before answering. "Okay. We have a deal."

Emily smiled. "Good. Take your shot."

He set up the tee and went through the process any golfer would do before attempting to get a hole in one. After a deep breath he went into his backswing and –

"ZELENKA, LEAVE ME ALONE!" Emily suddenly screeched, reflexively switching into Ancient.

The driver missed the ball and flew over the edge, hitting the ground with an echoing _thunk_. Sheppard spun around to see Emily backing Zelenka out of the door, steam almost curling out of her nostrils.

"Emily . . ." Sheppard said as he glided over to her.

"Stay out of this, Sheppard. I have a bone to pick with my good friend here."

Quickly she switched to Czech. She didn't want Sheppard understanding what she said.

"You betrayed me, you son of a bitch. You tore my trust in two. Because of you, Faulner's dead. His blood is on your hands, Zelenka! Go pray to your god for forgiveness because neither his family nor I will ever forgive you. You're dead to me Zelenka. I trusted you and you had to go tear it to shreds."

With that, she turned away from him with a sneer and began her march to her room on the other side of the city. Zelenka's jaw was clenched as he stared blankly at her retreating form. Sheppard slowly approached him.

"What just happened?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Zelenka swallowed hard. "I . . . I'd rather not talk about it right now."

With that, the scientist walked out of the room leaving Sheppard alone and utterly confused.


	7. Chapter 7

this is kind of a set up chapter so bare with me. please tell me what you think after you read. it helps develope the story line. enjoy :) 

Somehow, Emily managed to fall asleep that night. She had spent hours punching the strong metal walls. Her fist throbbed and bled in its wrapping, leaving dark red spots all around the white material. But pain didn't stop her exhausted body from drifting off into the realm of dreams . . . and lost memories.

Emily was lying on soft grass. The dark of night surrounded her as she gazed at the pinpoints of light above her. Slowly, she draped her arm over someone's torso. She turned her head to the person's ear to say something.

"I can't believe you came," she murmured with a soft smile.

"I said that I'd never leave you," a masculine voice replied.

"True, but still."

"You didn't trust me did you?"

"I had my doubts. I'm just glad I was wrong."

He let out a humorless laugh. "You would have been a spot on the ground if it wasn't for me."

"Yes, I know how proud you are that you got your pilot's license."

He turned over and took her tightly in his arms. "I missed you."

"Me too."

He kissed her softly. "Just think. We can stay here, together forever."

She shook her head slowly and with great sadness. "No. I have to go home and so do you. They'll be looking for us."

"We don't have to."

"Yes we do. I don't want search parties scouring the area."

He stroked her soft, shimmering brown hair with a soft smile. "I can dream can't I?"

"Yes. All we have at the moment is dreams, but we'll have so much more once you're ready."

"And I cannot wait for that day."

Emily kissed him softly. "I can't either, but until then we have to go our separate ways."

"Not now. We haven't been here for long."

She shook her head. "We have to. They'll be searching for us."

"So let them come. I just want to be here with you and the stars."

She laughed softly. "You've always been a hopeless romantic."

"And you're not?"

"I'm more into practicality. Well I was before I met you."

"I love you."

Emily slowly opened her eyes to see her room in Atlantis. Warmth was permeating through her. Slowly, she began to realize what that warmth was. She remembered something, but it wasn't all there.

"P4X-579," she muttered.

Emily sprung up suddenly. P4X-579. It was all there. Everything on the edges of her memory was there. She felt it. She _knew_ it. Quickly, Emily threw on the first pieces of clothing she saw and sprinted out of her room. She had to talk to Rodney.

"There is no way your going off world," Rodney remarked sharply as he zoomed around a puddle jumper.

"And why would that be?" Emily demanded.

"Well for one, you threw someone over a ledge."

"Other than that."

"I think that's a good enough reason."

Emily looked him right in the eyes. "Do you have any idea what could be on P4X-579? I know something's there, something big. This could be the key to it all."

There was a stretch of intense silence during which their eyes combated. One waited for the other to give in this test of wills. Rodney was the first one to break.

"Okay, I'll talk to Elizabeth and see if you can come with us to P4X-579."

Emily smiled widely. "Thank you, Rodney." With that, she walked out of the room.

"Therefore, I'm not sure if that's the best thing to do right now," Dr. Weir explained slowly to Emily.

The Ancient girl glared back at Weir with menace in her eyes. "Very diplomatic approach. Unfortunately for you, diplomacy doesn't work on me. It doesn't seem like you understand what could be on that planet."

"Emily, I've taken everything into careful consideration. I'm sure John and his team can handle whatever they find."

Emily slammed her fist on the desk as she stood up. "They won't have any idea what to look for. This key could be a big as Atlantis or as tiny as a nanite. I'm the only person in this entire city who has even te slightest chance of finding it!"

"There's no need for anger -"

"Yes there is. For all either of us knows, I could remember everything the second I step onto that world, the second I touch a tree, the moment I walk into a village. I _need_ to step on the soil. I need to breathe the air. Don't you see that?"

"I know that, but it would take a lot to convince me that you're mentally sound enough to go off world."

Emily sighed as she sat back down in the seat opposite of Dr. Weir. "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this. I'll go see the psychologist. If she clears me, will you let me go?"

The leader of the city mulled this over before giving the nod of approval.

Emily smiled. "Do you think she's busy now?"

"Head down. I'll contact her."

Emily nodded before walking calmly out of Weir's office with her heart racing. She was so close. All she needed was to get by the shrink. She could practically taste freedom from the city walls.


	8. Chapter 8

"Hello, Emily," a man with frizzy black hair began. "How are you?"

She stared at him as he sat in the chair across from her. "Where's Doctor-"

"She's come down with the flu."

"Oh. Don't tell Rodney. He'll go into hypochondriac mode," she remarked with a laugh that quickly died when she noticed that he was writing something in his notebook instead of laughing. "So Doctor . . ."

"Vaultenstein."

Emily fought hard to suppress a laugh. _Vaultenstein?_ "So Dr. Voltenstein, how are you going to start this exam?"

"Inkblots. I believe you've done these before."

"Yes. Come on, I have things to do."

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "I believe you were the one who asked for this."

"Well it doesn't mean I want to or will enjoy it."

"You seem a little hostile."

"You'd be too if you were in my situation.

He leaned forward a little bit. "And what would your position be?"

Emily let out a hard sigh. "Let's see. I can't remember most of my life, I'm trapped in a city filled with a bunch of . . . inferior beings, and people keep thinking something's wrong with me."

"And you feel that you're in perfectly fine?"

"Of coarse."

"Why do you think no one else thinks the same way?"

Emily slowly studied his expression. Voltenstein was riding the psychologist high horse. This man that no one knew existed was getting the cold-as-stone Ancient girl to open up. She hoped he was enjoying this. She sure as hell wasn't.

"I don't know. Maybe they're intimidated by me."

"Well you did throw a man, along with yourself, into the gate room and walked away."

"That was different."

"How so?"

She sighed. "I was feeling trapped. Four weeks trapped in the same place and being pumped for information nonstop will do that to you."

"Ah. So you feel as if you need to stretch your legs."

"Yeah. I need some time away from Atlantis."

"Why don't you request to go to the mainland?"

She shook her head. "No, I need off world time. I remember, back during the war with the wraith, they'd send us students to different planets every so often when it looked like things might get ugly."

"How much did that happen?"

Emily shrugged. "Every couple weeks. When it was safe, they would let us go onto the mainland for certain classes."

"So you think you're suffering from cabin fever?"

"You could call it that."

Voltenstein scribble something in his notebook before asking her if there was anything else. She shook her head.

"I'll look over my notes and tell Dr. Weir what I think."

"Okay."

They shook hands, said their goodbyes and Emily left.

Emily spent the rest of the day working with Rodney. It was an arduous task explaining to him how to soup up crystals. It took three hours to get him to understand how five of these super powered crystals could replace a ZPM for up to three days. What was worse was going through the process of how to refurbish used crystals. Part of the problem was on her part. Her mind wasn't all there. She kept thinking about the dream and what Weir would say. All she could do was sit and wait the day out.

"Hello, Emily. Sit down." Weir said with a smile when the Ancient girl entered the doctor's office.

"So what did Voltenstien say?" Emily asked almost immediately.

Weir folded her hands and leaned forward. "Congratulations, you're clear to go off world."

Emily fought to restrain herself, but she did let out a small smile. "Great. Who will I be going to P4X-579 with?"

"Sheppard's team. You'll be leaving tomorrow morning at 0900."

Emily nodded before making up some excuse in order to get out of there. The joy was ripping through her. All of the answers to her questions were on that planet. They were waiting for her. She knew it. What was even more thrilling was the fact that her act for Dr. Voltenstein had worked. She had pretended to open up to him. She made up the off world stuff. What idiot would believe that her people let their youth off the planet in the middle of a war? She let out a chuckle.

It had all worked out. Now it was time to celebrate. With a wide smile, she turned her sites to the mess hall. A quick bite then she'd give that Marine the flying lesson she had promised. He really did need help with his evasive maneuvers. He'd never outfly a wraith _his_ puddle jumper skills.


	9. Chapter 9

okay, just bare with me for this chapter. it's more of a set up one. i didn't want to make a mile long one nd have ppl lose interest. please read and review. enjoy :) 

"When you're about to step through the gate make sure you-"

Emily held up a hand. "Sheppard, this isn't the first time I've been through the Stargate."

"So you remember that," Rodney began in a matter-of-fact voice. "But you-"

"'Can't remember my name. Yes I know. Stop giving me shit about it. For all you know, this trip might change that."

"Shouldn't we be going?" Teyla commented, motioning towards the event horizon.

"Yeah, Rodney. Why are you holding us up?" Emily teased as she stepped closer to the shimmering blue surface before them.

He glared at her. "Hey you're the one-"

"Take it easy, Rodney." Sheppard began. "Now come one. Let's move out."

Emily flashed Rodney a mocking smile before stepping calmly through the Stargate. She reemerged in a completely different setting. Tall trees stretched up towards an arching blue sky. Wispy clouds zoomed across the sky in strange shaped packs. Birds chirped in the distance and animals skittered across the forest floor. She smiled slightly. Emily remembered this place and she was happy to see that not much had changed.

"Nice day out," Sheppard commented, tearing Emily from her blissful world. "You remember anything?" Ronan prompted.

She nodded. "I definitely know this place. I'm not kidding when I saw that not much has changed since my last time here."

"Any idea of what were looking for?" Sheppard asked, adjusting his grip on the gun hanging from his shoulder.

"Sorry, but no. Whatever it is could be as small as a nanite or as large as Atlantis itself. I say we spilt up."

"Are you kidding me?" Rodney interjected.

"Trust me, unless anything's evolved into a killing machine all of the life on this planet is perfectly safe. Besides, we'll cover more ground."

"I think Rodney is right about this," Teyla remarked. "How would we know what we are looking for?"

Emily sighed. "Anything that looks really old or of Ancient design. Anything that'll trigger something will stick out like a sore thumb."

"And who would you go with?" Ronan said.

"I'd go alone."

Then cam the collective and rather loud "what?".

"There's no way your going to do that," Sheppard commanded.

"Look. It's the safest way. I remember the lay of the land perfectly and I know how to protect myself not to mention the fact that I can pick up on languages quickly should I run into an intelligent life form. Plus, you see how I run. If I remember something and take off out of excitement whomever I'm with will never keep up! Trust me. It's the best choice."

They exchanged glances. Emily had made a good point. They'd seen her run. No creature they'd ever seen could speed like her. After a few moments of mental deliberation, Sheppard made the decision.

"Okay, but stay in radio contact. Check in every fifteen minutes."

"What! I can't believe you're actually going along with this!" Rodney exclaimed.

"Look, we've wasted enough time talking and I doubt Emily will go along with someone willingly anytime soon."

"He does make a point there," the Ancient girl interjected.

Rodney's face scrunched up as he tried to choose his words. Sheppard didn't wait for his next comment.

"Rodney, you're with Ronan. Take the north. Teyla, you're with me. We'll take the east. Emily, you get the west. We'll meet back here at fourteen hundred hours. Let's move out." Sheppard ordered.

Everyone began to walk away after they each told Emily to be careful. She nodded each time with a smile. She had every intention of coming back in one piece and not until her memories were intact.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N okay, sorry this took so long. it was a chaotic summer and then school started, so my time's been limited. hopefully i'll be able to write the next chapter soon. but if i cant SO SORRY. anyway, please read and review! oh nd for ppl with this on alerts, sorry for the 3 different emails. i made a couple mistakes. 

"I absolutely _cannot_ believe John let Emily explore the forest on her own!" Rodney remarked as he and Ronan pushed their way through the thick foliage.

"Complaining won't get you anywhere," Ronan replied. This was the fifth time Rodney had mentioned it since the team had split up.

"Yes, bu-"

"AH!" Ronan exclaimed as he dropped through what had appeared to be solid ground.

Without thinking, Rodney rushed forward. It didn't do much good. He tripped on a root and tumbled through the opening.

"Get off me!" Ronan demanded as he tried to get up.

Rodney obliged with a pained groan. "Where are we?"

"Looks like we fell into a hunting trap," Ronan replied as he stared up into the light that was leaking through the mouth of the deep hole into which they'd fallen.

"Oh great. Is there anyway we can get out?"

"Yeah, but it might take awhile."

"Look, just get me out of here," Rodney replied, hysteria creeping into his voice.

"Fine. Now give me a boost."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"I have a bad feeling about this place," Sheppard muttered as he and Teyla made their way through a well-trodden path. "Emily said no one lived here."

"It is possible that people came here through the Stargate after the Ancients left."

"True, but that would mean some one _brought _them here and I really don't feel like running into a wraith today."

After another mile of silence the two came upon a sight that made them stop. A vast sprawling village spread out like a spider web along a deep valley. Earthy brown huts and buildings stuck out above the rich green that filled the rest of the depression in the ground. A noticeable statue stood in the very center of the village with what appeared to be people surrounding it. Sheppard and Teyla wasted no time in sliding down the valley's steep sides and walking into the locals' hometown.

The few residents who had yet to make it to the statue greeted them with strange looks. It took quite some time before they found anyone who was willing to talk to them. She was a short middle-aged woman with deep-set black eyes, a creamy complexion, and a very prominent chin. Strangely enough it was neither Teyla nor Sheppard who had prompted the conversation. It was the woman.

"May I help you, visitors?" she asked in a deep voice as she sized up the vastly taller explorers.

"Yes. We would like to speak with the leader of the village," Teyla replied.

"Very well, but you will have to wait after services. He will speak to you then."

"Services?" Sheppard questioned.

"Yes. Today is a holy day for my people. You are welcome to join us if you like."

"What kind of services are they?" Teyla asked, a little skeptical.

The woman shrugged. "A few prayers, a service, and a speech from our leader. It will all be over in two hours."

"That would be . . . lovely," Teyla said quickly with a smile.

"Wonderful, please follow me." With that, the woman turned her back to them and began to lead Teyla and Sheppard through the winding streets of the village.

Sheppard shot his partner a dirty look the second the woman's back was turned. "We could have at least talked about this first," he mumbled

"It is best to show you accept a people's customs _before_ you speak with them. Turning the invitation down would have been an insult. Besides, what would we have done for two hours?" she whispered back.

"I don't know, walk around the village."

"Then we would have looked like spies."

"I don't ca- wow."

The two craned their necks upward at the gargantuan pieces of sculpted granite towering above them and the many people surrounding it. A feeling of dread sunk deep into their very being. Towering above them, like a vicious beast ready to attack, was a detailed sculpture of a wraith. An alter stood before it holding what appeared to be the necessary worship items.

Sheppard swallowed hard. "Did I mention I never liked church?"

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Meanwhile, Emily was barreling westward at a breakneck speed. No unusual noise came to her sensitive ears nor did anything seem like a link to her past. Exhaustion finally took over and she stopped. She did a mental time check. She still had ten minutes before shed have to radio in. She'd made the unfortunate mistake of running and talking at the same time. This caused her to stop running so early.

Emily heaved a sigh as she leaned against a tree. Frustration mixed with a hint of exhaustion wracked her body. Why wasn't she getting any results? Admittedly, it _had_ been thousands of years since she'd seen the planet last. Still, she should have found some sign of her people. Ancients built everything to last.

"What the hell's wrong with me?" she muttered as she stood up straight.

She shook her head slowly. Something was wrong. Emily could feel it. The edges of her vision were fuzzy and she felt weak in the knees. Could it be stress? She shook her head. She'd seen worse in her time. The running? Not a chance. Emily had always been the fastest and had the most stamina. She closed her eyes tightly as she tried to get her thoughts together.

"Androida?" a soft voice whispered.

Her eyes flew open and she let out a gasp. Instinct told her to back away, to run, to radio for help, but her legs wouldn't listen. All Emily could do was stand there, stiff as a board, gazing at the massive, disgusting form of a wraith.


	11. Chapter 11

Emily's jaw was clenched so tight it hurt. So this was how it was all going to end. Life was going to be sucked out of her in the middle of a forest on a distant planet. Even worse, she _still_ had no memory of her old life. A bitter taste rose up into her mouth. She'd survived countless attacks on her home world, thousands of years in stasis, and a _how_ many storey drop. It would all end because of a stupid mistake on her part. Talk about an anticlimactic end.

Something suddenly occurred to her during the few minutes the two stared at each other. The wraith had called her something. A smile was pulling at its lips. In fact, there was nothing threatening about the creature at all, despite its skin-crawling appearance. She furrowed her eyebrows. At least her face muscles could still move.

"Is there something wrong?" the wraith questioned, worry marring its face.

"W-what did you call me?" Emily stuttered.

"Androida. That _is_ your name."

"H-how do you-"

He interrupted her with a sigh. "You don't remember do you?"

She shook her head.

The wraith let out a sigh. "My name is Darius and you, my dearest, are Androida my everything." The towering figure reached out and took her hand.

In that instant, with his ice-cold hand grasping hers and his black eyes gazing into her gray ones, Emily remembered everything. She wasn't Emily the girl without a past. She was Androida the Ancient sixteen year old with memories. Emily completely ceased to exist. Among all the things Androida now remembered, there were two prominent memories. One, she had a plan. Two, she was in love with a wraith. She couldn't help but smile as tears filled her eyes. She pulled him in for a tight hug.

"I remember now, Darius. I remember!" she wept with a smile into his chest.

He smiled as he lifted her face up so he could stare into her eyes. "I knew you would." With that he kissed her and, for the first time in thousands of years, the two lovebirds were together in wrapped in the other's arms and ready to spend eternity that way.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

"I thought you said you could get us _out_ of here!" Rodney spat as paced around the bottom of the hole he and Ronan were still stuck in.

"I said it would take time and you're not helping," Ronan muttered as he tested the strength of a bulging root.

"I _would_, but you're too heavy to lift. We went through that already, remember."

Ronan muttered something under his breath that Rodney pretended not to hear.

"Maybe we should radio Sheppard and Teyla for help," Rodney suggested hopefully.

"No, we're fine. It's just going to take some time to get out. Whoever dug this trap _really_ didn't want their food to get out."

Rodney's eyes bugged out and his face lost a shade of color. "Did you say food? Oh no. We're-"

Ronan stopped him with a glare. "If you don't want to be eaten shut up and let me work."

Rodney nodded quickly and sat down. Deep down, he probably knew that this trap wasn't meant for people, but claustrophobia was setting in and he was hungry so there was no such thing as logic at this stage of the game.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

"Did you enjoy the service?" the old woman asked as she led Teyla and Sheppard to the town hall.

"It was very . . . nice," Teyla replied with a strained smile.

The old woman beamed back. "I am very glad you enjoyed it. Our leader will be most pleased. It is not often we get visitors, let alone explorers from a distant planet."

"Not even for trade?" Sheppard inquired.

"No. None of the neighboring villages are interested in that. They do not agree with our religious beliefs," she volunteered, the smile fading from her lips. "You wouldn't be interested in trade, would you?"

The two were spared an answer by the unexpected approach of the village leader. The old woman bowed immediately and mumbled an introduction of the two people stand on either side of her. The tall, dark man smiled at them after dismissing the old woman.

"Welcome to Androida, explorers! I am Leader Diostro. How may I assist you?" he asked with a cordial, booming voice.

"We're interested in that statue of yours," Sheppard answered.

"Ah yes, it _is_ a beautiful icon, but I regret to inform you that it is not for sale."

"We are not interested in purchasing it," Teyla began. "We would like to know why it is in your square."

"It is a small tribute to our god. It is a place of worship and offerings to the Great One so He will bestow upon us the gift of long life or healing."

Teyla and Sheppard exchanged glances.

"I see you two are doubters. Come, walk with me and I will explain the ways of this village to you." Diostro began to walk and the two explorers followed unwillingly, but burning to learn why the villagers were worshiping a wraith.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 2

Small songbirds flitted high in the arching blue sky. They danced along wind currents as they soared high over the land, completely oblivious to what the legged ones were up to. The tiny flock ignored the oddly clad strangers entering a rustic house in the center of a village for those birds only had eyes for their nests. Upon crossing the forest line, the wind current abruptly changed, carrying the songbirds just far enough north to allow them to catch a glimpse of a rather large man with dreadlocks falling back into a hole with a wild curse. The birds were able to get back on course just in time to avoid the enraged words flooding up into the atmosphere from said hole.

The songbirds' journey came to an end in the western part of the forest. They chirped happily as they entered the same tree and landed on their respective branches. The songbirds settled in their nests, ignoring the voices of the lovebirds on the ground below. The Ancient girl and the Wraith were lying in the soft grass, staring absentmindedly at the clouds above. The girl knew that she should probably contact one of the team members, but she had no interest in ruining the moment. Besides, they'd probably kill Darius on site. They didn't know him like she did.

"What have you been doing all this time, Darius?" she asked in a carefree voice.

"Exactly what you told me to do a few thousand years ago: evolve."

Androida smiled. "So how's that been going for you?"

He rolled over and took her in his arms. "Exactly like you said it should. I feel . . ."

"Yes?"

"I feel less like a Wraith and more like an Ancient. I just feel more—"

"Mentally evolved."

"Exactly."

They shared their second love's true kiss since she'd woken up.

"I can hear it in your voice," she began breathlessly. "It has less of that phlegmy echo than before. You sound more—"

"Like one of your own people."

The tone of his voice made Androida ashamed of her words. She loved him no matter how he sounded or how he looked. "Darius, I—"

He put one finger on her lips. "It's okay. I knew what you meant . . . and I agree."

She gave him a confused look. "I don't—"

He sighed and shifted his weight. "I'm ashamed of my own people now. I understand that we're parasites and I understand why people hate us, but I don't understand why people worship us."

Androida sat up. "Worship?"

Darius sat up, too. "Yes. There is a village not too far from here. They consider me a god," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You? A god? How did that happen?"

He shrugged. "After I had overcome my need to feed on humans I felt the need to repay the villagers for the loved ones I had taken from them. So when an epidemic broke out among the children I fed off countless animals in a very short time before heading into the village under the cover of darkness. I went to every sick child and gave it enough energy to destroy the virus. Despite all my precautions to not be seen, several villagers spotted me and a few children woke up in the middle of my 'miracle working'. Since then they have prayed to me for petty little things. I would think that after a thousand years of me only helping the young they would stop asking me to save their elderly family members."

She smiled at him. "I always knew you were a softie."

"You were the only one."

Slowly, Androida rested her back on Darius's chest. "So let's check the list of things needed for ascension. Do you only kill when you absolutely have to?"

"Yes."

"Do you help all things living whenever you can?"

"Yes."

"Finally, do feel the pressing need to fly higher than the sky itself?"

"Not only do I feel the need, but I feel the right."

She laughed. "If it weren't for how you look I'd think you were a true-born Ancient."

Darius was about to reply when a crackle entered the air between he and Androida. The sound of the name Sheppard had deemed her with soon followed. She couldn't help but let out a curse as she scrambled to find the source of the sound amidst the pockets of her vest.

"What is it?" she demanded as soon as the temporarily missing walkie-talkie was recovered.

"We're getting out of here," Sheppard's voice crackled back in reply.

"How come?"

"There's a Wraith nearby."

Androida was silent as she exchanged a meaningful look with Darius. "How—how do you know?"

"Some village's got a shrine to it. I'll explain more when we get back to Atlantis. Just get to the gate _now_."

She quickly agreed before shoving the piece of Earth technology back into a vest pocket. "Darius . . . as much as I don't want to do this, I have to go back."

"Why? We could just ascend right now . . . so we could be together again."

"No, I have some loose ends to tie up in Atlantis. In two days I'll be back. Then we'll ascend together. Don't worry, I'll pretend I'm still 'Amnesia Emily'."

Gently, he placed his hand on her face. "Fine, but you better come back."

"Or you'll do what?"

"Steal a ship again just like I did before when I saved you from falling."

"Come to think of it . . . that would be pretty fun, but no. I WILL be back." She paused to kiss him. "See you soon, Darius."

"Not soon enough."

With that, "Emily" took off for the Stargate.


End file.
